


I'll Always be Here to Catch You

by Bisexual_Bean



Series: Catch You, Help You Heal [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Jason Todd is a Good Big Brother, No Slash, Protective Jason, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, These babys are brothers leave them alone, Tim Drake Angst, Tim Drake Has a Bad Time, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake-centric, Tim's just having a really hard time, Yes I'm still salty about Dick firing Tim and I will continue to be salty no one can stop me, how is that not a tag already?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:54:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25760947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bisexual_Bean/pseuds/Bisexual_Bean
Summary: Somehow he ended up on top of the Wayne Enterprise building, feet swinging over empty sky and hands gripping the ledge so tightly his knuckles were white.He really should move.
Relationships: Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Series: Catch You, Help You Heal [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904848
Comments: 29
Kudos: 828





	I'll Always be Here to Catch You

Tim knows he should move.

He's known he should move for the past 2 hours. But every time he finally things he's gained the courage to stand, to step away, to fire his grapple and swing back to his empty apartment, his heart beat pounds against his chest, and he suddenly feels drained of all of his energy.

The wind from up so high is crisp. It whips his hair left and right (Alfred would be ashamed of its length) and he is only reminded that he should really pull his cowl back on (Bruce would be ashamed of his thoughtlessness).

A heavy sigh passes his lips, vision blurring as he stares off into the horizon.

What was he doing here?

He had been patrolling. He knows that much, and had just finished taking down a small group of drug dealers who seemed to be high on their own merchandise when Nightwing managed to corner him on the rooftop of a near by apartment building.

"Hey, Baby Bird!" The older mans feet scrap against the gravel roofing (Something Tim knows he was doing on purpose, because Nightwing doesn't make noise unless he _wants_ to). Nightwing's smile was wide, obviously unaware of Tim's subtle flinch at the old nickname as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Tim fought the urge to ball up at the feeling of the arm curled around him.

"Where ya been? It feels like no ones seen you in months."

 _Because you haven't_ is what he wanted to say, "Been busy," is what he said instead, shrugging the limb off and away from him.

The frown to cross Nightwing's lips was short lived, but not so fast that Tim didn't notice before the golden smile returned, "No ones too busy to stop in and say hi to their family every once and a while. A's been missing someone to talk gossip with, and I'm sure B would love for you to come to dinner! We could watch a movie or something, just like old times."

_Old times. Old times from before you fired me from Robin? Before you gave the name away without permission? Before you called me crazy for thinking Bruce was alive and threatened to send me to Arkham? Those old Times?_

"Busy," Tim repeated. And this time the frown that laced the mans lips stayed.

There was the slightest shift from foot to foot before Nightwing spoke again, "Hey..." A pause, "I know it was rough between us for a little while, but Bruce is back now."

_And whos responsible for that? Who gave up everything just to bring him back to you? Who refused to listen to everyone who said they were insane, told him to let it go, claimed it was impossible like people hadn't returned from the dead before? **Who?**_

Tim hummed, firmly keeping his reactions blank. Kept his feet planted exactly a foot apart, hands steady at his sides.

"Timmy?"

The break of code names had his eyes snapping back to look at Nightwing. White lenses only stared back at him, but Tim swore he could make out the blue eyes filled with sadness behind the mask.

For a moment Tim was 13 again, hand still raised to knock on Dick Grayson's front door in Bludhaven, palms sweaty from nerves, when the door opened. When he stared up at the man, _Nightwing,_ who simply frowned at him upon answering the door and asked where his parents were and if he was lost.

That was the man Tim had looked up to, saw as a hero, down the road had seen as a _brother_.

Tears stung his eyes and he cleared his throat, turning on his heel while pulling his grapple from his belt, "No names in the field."

"Wait, please-"

"Nightwing."

The voice immediately had Tim tensing, an action he knew didn't go unnoticed by Nightwing, nor the newest member to the party.

N's voice was a mockery of its normal cheeriness as he turned his back to Tim. "Hey lil' D! I'm just having a quick talk with Tim if you could just wait a min-"

Robin's chin tilted up in distain, "There is no need for you to continue your pointless debacle with this piece of low life filth," A huff, Tim could just make out the quietest 'tt' as his eyes scanned Tim, "Father is demanding your presence back home."

Tim couldn't tell if he imagined the way N jerked back at the comment or not.

"Come on Robin, Tim isn't-"

It was Tim's turn to interrupt, "It's fine Nightwing. I'm sure Batman wouldn't like to be kept waiting," Tim's eyes flicked between the two of them, gloved fists tightening at the sneer on Robin's lips.

"Of course. It is a meeting only real members of the family were invited to."

Tim hummed, head tilting to the side.

"'I'll make sure to remember such when I have my next meeting with your grandfather," At the words Nightwing choked, eyes most likely wide behind his lenses. Robin on the other hand, looked ready to leap at him, teeth bared as if it could threaten him.

"Anyways," He smirked an old fashion Robin (Ex-Robin?) smile, "I have more important things to be occupying my time with. Goodnight."

And with that Tim had swung away.

And somehow ended up on top of the Wayne Enterprise building, feet swinging over empty sky and hands gripping the ledge so tightly his knuckles were white.

He really should move.

But the thought of everyone having a meeting without him sat so heavy in his stomach he couldn't lift himself up. Its nearly been a while year since Bruce 'died'. Since Tim brought him back. Since he declared himself no longer apart of the family. Of course they would continue to have meetings, even if he wasn't there. Why would they? Rouges needed to be stopped, the Mission had to continue. Nothing was worth giving that all up just to bring a stray bird home.

He scooted an inch closer to the edge.

Tim should finish patrolling. Go home, make a pot of coffee (Maybe 2), and see how much work he can get done before his meeting at 10 tomorrow (Today).

He _really_ should move.

"Hey Replacement."

Tim didn't react to the new voice or the nickname.

Steal toed boots scrapped against concreate. Guns in holsters shuffled against hips.

"What are you doing all the way up here? I thought all the Bats crawled home for the night."

Maybe Tim could push himself forward fast enough to get a head start before Hood threw the first punch.

But with his cowl and grapple on the AC unit a few feet from him he wouldn't be getting very far.

Maybe that was ok.

A hand was gripping his shoulder and twisting him before Tim could get another idea of what that meant, "Something in your ears Replacement?"

The hood was off, tucked under Red's arm. White lenses stared him down, but the growl on the mans lips melted away to a frown as he met Tim's eyes.

"Kid?"

 _Now I'm not even good enough for Replacement?_ Tim watched in slow motion as Hood set his helmet down on the roofs floor, hands once again settling on his shoulders (Softer this time though), but Tim watched it all in slow motion. It's similar to how he normally feels after a week without sleep, but Tim knows he got a couple hours between meetings at least 4 days ago, so he should still be fine.

Hood was still speaking when Tim decided to tune back into the conversation, "Come on bud, up you go," The older Ex-Robin motioned for him to stand, but his legs were weak under him, feet becoming boulders that dragged with every shift of his weight. Hood willingly took on most of his weight, tugging him from the buildings edge towards the stairs leading into the building. _Why wouldn't we just grapple down? Is Hoods broken? H_ _e can borrow mine if he wanted._

"Lets get you back down to ground level yeah? Then I can call Dickie or B or whoever you want me to call?" Tim fought between scolding Hood for saying names in the field, or freaking out at the mention of Bruce or Dick being called to pick him up like a kid who got in trouble at school. 

He picks the latter, flinching back, hands now trembling as he pushes himself away from Hood's hold. 

"T...They don't want me..." His voice sounded wrecked and slurred even to his own ears. The tears from earlier in the night return with a vengeance and he effortlessly tried to wipe them away before they could fall.

He was stepping back. Closer to the edge and Hoods hands were suddenly up in surrender. Words were coming from his lips and his mask was gone (When did he take that off?) and he was staring at Tim with the biggest teal eyes Tim thinks he's ever seen.

"First my da...dad died. Then K..K...Kon and B...Bart and...and then Steph died..a..a..and B...B.." Hood was speaking over him, but the words refused to reach his ears. Despite how hard he tried, tears raced down his cheeks and Tim just wished everything to slow down. To stop and give him a second to think. But all he could focus on was the sound of concreate and his shoes scrapping across it as Jason carefully shuffled towards him.

"Robin was all I had left! Di-" He choked on the name in his throat, "He took it from me! He took it from me and I had nothing!" He was screaming. He was sobbing. When was the last time Tim had cried? "He threatened to put me in Arkham! He thought I was crazy-They **_all_** thought I was crazy, but I _found_ him. I brought him back. But no one cared what happened to me!"

His heels hit air. Hood was telling him to step away from the edge. But Tim didn't think he could if he wanted to.

"I...I have nothing left...I…"

Tim's shoulders slumped.

"I..."

Hood reached out for him, gloved hand nearly circling Tim's thin wrist before Tim jerked back, loosing his footing.

Tim heard someone scream his name, and suddenly he was flying.

_"What if I fall?" Tim's voice was wary, eyes flicking over the short distance between the two buildings. Logically, he knew he could make it, after all Bruce wouldn't even let him leave the cave until he hit the mark with a grapple gun at least 100 times in a row, but the dip between the two buildings suddenly seemed like a crater the city created just to defeat him._

_"I'm your big brother now Timmy. I'll always be here to catch you," A voice spoke calmly behind him, a warm hand pressed against his back._

_I'll always be here to catch you._

A hand grabbed his arm and suddenly his shoulder was shrieking in agony as it popped from its socket, burning pain searing throughout Tim's whole body.

He was screaming, voice cracking and breaking and he barely even noticed when his knees hit pavement and strong arms were wrapping around him and pressing his face into the collar if a heavy scented leather jacket.

The stabbing pain only lasted a moment longer before a soft voice hit his ears, promising comfort before popping the limb back into place and Tim's screams simply blurred back into harsh sobs.

A hand buried itself in his hair, another coming to wrap around his waist as though scared Tim would simply vanish. he knew someone was still speaking, but he could only feel the vibration of the voice against his cheek and the smell of cigarettes' and oil coming from the jacket.

"I've got ya Timmy"

Darkness pulled at the edges of the vision, and Tim has the distant thought that he was poked with something before he fell unconscious

"I've got ya."

**Author's Note:**

> One day I promise to write something with fluff. But I majorly self indulged while writing this and if you guys are interested Id totally be up to adding a second (Or third) part! As always, let me know if there are any mistakes I missed!


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